how do people seem to get away with adding so much fish

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why is it that everywhere i read that you should have 20 gallons per goldfish or over 500 gallons to keep koi, yet i see so many times that people keep koi in 250 gallon ponds and like 50 goldfish in the same size pond...yet their fish grow huge and are healthy for many many years, why is that? :bowdown:
i should mention that the koi and goldfish ar not always together and when they are the numbers are usually smaller
 

addy1

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Maybe good filtration, maybe luck................
Not all rules apply all the time but saying that it is best for the fish to have more water per fish.
kio poop a lot, they need more water and filtration then goldies.
 

fishin4cars

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Is it lucky, or experience in water quality? In most case if the fish are healthy and crowded you can bet that the owner either has some kind of super filtration or they do regular water changes, Either way they should be testing it and monitoring it closely.
I'm pretty crowded IMO in my pond, 16 koi ranging from 17" to 6" and 8 goldfish ranging from 8"-10". in 2200 gallon swimming area but 2500 gallon water capacity, 300 gallons are not used by the fish although it is part of the system. I have digital PH, and ammonia meters and I check weekly for nitates, phosphates, and salinity. I have pretty extensive filtration, lots of water movement to keep oxyen levels high, and I do weekly to bi-weekly water changes depending on how much catch water I can obtain. My catch tank only holds about 300 gallons so sometimes I have to use city water that has been pre-filtered and run thru charcoal before it enters my pond. I usually let city water run through my holding tank for two days before using it for water changes. The rules of thumb are used to help keep fish loads at a pretty safe level with minimal water checks but I really feel that anyone that is serious about ther fishes health should monitor their water and know when something is getting out of whack before the fish tell you.
 
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I have 24 koi most over 24" in a 4200 gallon pond. I do water changes twice a week, have lots of filtration, bottom drains and lots of air..
 
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The 13 fish we just got were in a small pond no more than 6' in diameter. The biggest fish are pushing 20" and most were about 12". Seven were koi, one albino cat and the rest comets. I could not believe it. Their water was clear, they had a pretty good bio filter and a UV light. Now these guys are in our pond and they still like to hang pretty close togerther for the most part, but they are learning to spread their wings!
 
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The key is filtration and water quality not amount of gallons or space, of course I think that less fish is better than more fish but then again I'm known to push the limit
 

addy1

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I did my pond to be more of a natural wildlife pond, so my fish load will never be a lot and it will only be goldies, shubies, frogs and whatever decides to live in it.
 
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Where can I get a kit to test my water? I have never tested my water since I have had a pond but would like to start..I love learning new things. Thanks Amber
 
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Pond/garden stores have them or pet stores. I agree overfiltration and lots of water changes. That's what I do when my aquarium are overcrowded. But I had a neglected stock tank pond last year. I had morning sickness so bad I didn't attend it like I should so I let it go natural. It was heavily planted, had a small filter, didn't do hardly any water changes and I rarely fed the fish so they just ate all the the algae and stuff. Just some little comets and they all did great without all the fuss. The only bad thing was they were scared of me and much more wild then most of my fish.
 
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i do like the idea of a natural pond, but i don't like dirty murky waters it creeps me out big time lol, i will just keep up on my water changes and see what happens, honestly i have never ever tested my ph in the water because we have very stable water ph here, but i do leave it for a couple weeks before adding any fish to it of course. my one issue is that im thinking of just having a large filter type thing and filling it up with water plants, but im not sure if that will help at all.
 

addy1

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talal101 said:
i do like the idea of a natural pond, but i don't like dirty murky waters it creeps me out big time lol, i will just keep up on my water changes and see what happens, honestly i have never ever tested my ph in the water because we have very stable water ph here, but i do leave it for a couple weeks before adding any fish to it of course. my one issue is that im thinking of just having a large filter type thing and filling it up with water plants, but im not sure if that will help at all.

Well by natural, I don't mean muddy murky water, we swim in the pond, the bog keeps it clear.

I guess i am saying few fish, plants, frogs bugs etc.
 
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addy1 said:
Well by natural, I don't mean muddy murky water, we swim in the pond, the bog keeps it clear.

I guess i am saying few fish, plants, frogs bugs etc.

Sorry addy I misunderstood what you meant, It would be cool to swim with the koi or goldfish but I don't think I can commit to a large pond at this point because we may still move
 

addy1

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talal101 said:
Sorry addy I misunderstood what you meant, It would be cool to swim with the koi or goldfish but I don't think I can commit to a large pond at this point because we may still move

Laughing is ok, told new hubby when we bought this house it was the last one, well in this area. Won't be building any more ponds lol, as we age gracefully!
 
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addy1 said:
Laughing is ok, told new hubby when we bought this house it was the last one, well in this area. Won't be building any more ponds lol, as we age gracefully!

Hahahah sounds good addy, a good plan
 

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